🐹 Baker Powered 🌋🌋

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Monday update from The Hamster Wheel.

It seems that the rut has begun among Bellingham’s urban deer population. Yesterday, while driving home at midday, I watched a stately stag, neck extended, nose near the ground, following a pair of does. He had a wild-eyed look of determination. I wished for a camera in that moment but alas, I was without. 🦌 

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

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Geothermal Energy Potential at Mount Baker

Last week, the Department of Ecology published an interesting article about how Washington is taking an early look at geothermal energy as part of its transition toward renewable power solutions. Geothermal energy, which harnesses the natural heat from within the Earth, is drawing attention for its potential to provide clean, reliable electricity without producing greenhouse gas emissions. And while no geothermal projects are currently proposed in Washington, state agencies are working together to evaluate both the opportunities and risks associated with its future development.

This effort focuses on three regions identified by the Washington Geological Survey as having strong geothermal potential: the Mount Baker area in the northwest, the Mount St. Helens area in the southwest, and the Wind River Valley south of Mount St. Helens. 👇️ These sites were selected following extensive mapping, geophysical surveys, and drilling that refined the state’s understanding of where geothermal resources may exist. The Department of Natural Resources has published an interactive story map that explains how geothermal energy works and why these particular locations were chosen for study.

Over the next 18 months, state agencies will host a series of public workshops and virtual meetings to gather input from Tribes, local communities, and other stakeholders. These discussions will help identify environmental, cultural, and economic factors that should inform any future exploration or development. Two virtual meetings in November (both open to the public) are a chance to learn about the Mt. Baker region’s potential as a source of geothermal energy, and provide feedback as Washington explores the role this energy could play in its renewable energy future. Nov. 6 meeting, Nov. 12 meeting.

Over the weekend, Bellingham Parks and Rec announced that the Civic Stadium scoreboard has been replaced. While the new board looks nearly identical to the old one, the key difference is that it works (the old one stopped functioning in the spring), with updated internal components and energy-efficient LED lighting.

To complete the project, crews used a crane to remove the old board and headers before welding new brackets onto the existing steel I-beams and lifting the replacement panels into place. The 36-foot-wide structure is now ready for game days, though one weather-damaged header will remain blank and unlit until a replacement can be installed.

Hamster Wheel reader Nancy Keene sent us a note that her high school friend and renowned actor Allen Fitzpatrick is bringing his solo show, A Christmas Carol, to the FireHouse later this month. “Allen takes on 26 characters in a fast-moving telling of the timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. 60 minutes long and family-friendly, it always puts people right in the mood for the Christmas season.”

Allen spent 50 years in professional theatre, performing on Broadway alongside legends like Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Prince, and Marvin Hamlisch. His Broadway credits include Les Misérables, Driving Miss Daisy (with James Earl Jones), The Scarlet Pimpernel, Damn Yankees (with Jerry Lewis), and 42nd Street. He shared an Emmy for Passion: Live from Lincoln Center with Patti LuPone and starred opposite Petula Clark in Sunset Boulevard and Marlo Thomas in Six Degrees of Separation. Tickets 

This week, Western Washington University will host a series of free events for veterans and their families in celebration of Veterans Day. The week begins Monday with a catered lunch at Viking Commons and a fly-fishing session with Project Healing Waters, an organization that supports veterans through the therapeutic art of fly fishing and rod building.

Wednesday features a special planetarium screening of Big Astronomy in Haggard Hall, highlighting the global collaboration behind modern astronomy. On Thursday there will be free bowling at 20th Century downtown. On Friday, the week concludes with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu workshop led by Jeff Shaw of Bellingham BJJ, open to all skill levels. All the details.

Volunteer Opportunities This Week:

• Stream Team: Help Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) maintain older sites that need love this Wednesday. Meet at NSEA’s campus by 8 am and your group leader will shuttle everyone to the site. You can expect to be back to NSEA at 12 pm. Register

• Saxon Riparian Corridor: Join Whatcom Land Trust (WLT) planting native trees and shrubs to improve habitat that benefits salmon, birds, and other native wildlife. Register

• Kendall Creek: Join NSEA convert a portion of Kendall Creek from lawn to riparian forest on Saturday. Help increase the riparian buffer along Kendall Creek which supports all Pacific salmonid species and builds upon the benefits created by other nearby restoration projects. Register

• Rutsatz Salmon Reserve: Help WLT prepare the Rutsatz Salmon Reserve to thrive through the wet winter. Plant native trees and shrubs to restore habitat and remove invasive blackberry that has started to overtake earlier plantings. Register.

• Whatcom Creek: Join NSEA for a salmon spotting event at Maritime Heritage Park from noon to 3 pm, this Saturday, November 8. Info

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham (comedy) | Mon 9:00 pm

iDiOM Theater
Twelfth Night | Thurs-Sat

New Prospect Theatre
Phoebe in Winter | Thurs & Sun

BAAY Theatre
Ferdinand and the French Fry Factory | Fri, Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Line Dancing - Corner Taphouse - Mon 6:30 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Beginning Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 8 pm
Taster Tuesdays (hip hop) - Lost Giants Cider Co - Tues 6 pm
Int. Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 7:15 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Flow Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Dance Fusion - Senior Activity Center - Sat 10:30 am
Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Feature an Event. Reach out.

FEATURED

R.O. Shapiro, an Americana singer-songwriter known for his soulful voice and authentic storytelling, performs at the Odd Fellows Temple Room tomorrow, November 4, alongside folk duo Bad Posture Club. Drawing comparisons to Ray LaMontagne and Josh Ritter, Shapiro’s music blends poetic lyricism with an intimate live presence shaped by years of touring across the country. The show begins at 8 p.m., with admission $10 at the door.

Get ready to groove at the Taster Tuesday Choreo Dance Class, tomorrow night from 6 to 7 pm at Lost Giants Cider Co., exclusively for adults 21+! A fun, supportive class blends hip hop and house music with a laid-back vibe, offering a chance to learn dance moves, connect with like-minded folks, and enjoy delicious ciders—perfect for beginners looking to shake things up. Sign up to boogie or drop in

Swiss groove collective L’Eclair brings their genre-bending, rhythm-driven sound to The Shakedown on Tuesday, November 4, joined by Laguna Largo. Blending elements of funk, jazz, and electronic experimentation, L’Eclair’s music fuses tight, danceable rhythms with atmospheric depth. Doors open at 7:30 pm, show starts at 8 pm.

MONDAY

Monday Night Dance with The Bellingham Embodiment Collective, The Majestic Ballroom – Explore freeform movement in this guided dance session led by rotating facilitators including Scotty Lewis (5Rhythms), Denise Skinner (Azul), and Kelsey Maloney (Open Floor). No choreography or experience required; just bring curiosity and a willingness to move. 6:30–8:00 pm.

Monday Music & Trivia →

TUESDAY

It’s a quite night. 🤷‍♂️ 
Watch a documentary or something.  

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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Hakuna matata

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Have a great Monday!!